Things to see and do Lime-De-Fonds

La Maison blanche is the first architectural work created by Le Corbusier alone. For this all-round artist, the house adapts to man. He built it for his parents in 1912, on his return from the Orient. Classified as a monument of national importance, the Maison blanche was brought back to life thanks to the civic commitment of people from all walks of life who created an association. Why white? It comes from its white walls which, thanks to the light, appear to us as white.

Tic-Tac, it's time to take a break in two towns considered to be the jewels of Swiss luxury watchmaking. La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle are two humanist towns with distinctive industrial architecture, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2009. Enjoy a timeless experience at the heart of the watchmaking industry. Discover the watchmaking trades and the complete watchmaking process, from movement design to component assembly.

The building houses a rich collection of clocks and watches (4,500 pieces), some of which are extremely rare: 17th century watches, astronomical clocks and some of the most sophisticated 21st century watches. Since 1989, the museum has also been a centre for the restoration of antique clocks. You will discover unique pieces of mechanical clocks and watches and the whole history of watchmaking: marine chronometers, watches with enamel of great rarity.

This zoological park presents dozens of animals from the region: mammals of some twenty different species and hundreds of birds are represented. The park is further enriched by the presence of the Vivarium de la Chaux-de-Fonds, which presents vertebrates and invertebrates of numerous species. You'll discover both naturalized and live animals - a unique concept in Europe, hence the name "Muzoo", a fusion of museum and zoo.

One of the first buildings built by the famous artist Le Corbusier in his home town in 1917. It was commissioned by Mr. Schwob, a wealthy watchmaker in the city, who did not honour the invoice, which had been exceeded. As a result of this misadventure, the famous architect left the city. The Turkish Villa, in a very refined and daring Moorish style for its time, with a very elaborate interior decoration, was bought by the watchmaking company Ebel.

To find out all you need to know about this special region, the cradle of the watchmaking industry, visit the tourist office. There's plenty to discover in this UNESCO World Heritage city. Renowned for its Art Nouveau, Le Corbusier's birthplace and the city of watchmaking, La Chaux-de-Fonds is a destination in itself. Treasure hunts, guided tours, museums - you name it, we've got it.

In a building built in 1923-1926, the works of famous artists come alive. The architecture of the building is a fine example of Art Deco inspired by the architect René Chapallaz and the artist Charles L'Eplattenier, teacher of the future Le Corbusier at the city's art school. You will be able to admire a very fine collection of Swiss and international art from the 19th and 20th centuries, bequeathed by Mrs. Junod, including some great names of artists: Matisse, Derain, Le Corbusier of course. The 19th century is represented by Van Gogh, Pissarro..

Housed in a 19th century bourgeois villa, a stone's throw from the International Watchmaking Museum and the Fine Arts Museum, the History Museum has a new museography. The permanent exhibition retraces the history of the watchmaking city, which was the birthplace of Le Corbusier, in a chronological and thematic way. In the course of a richly documented tour, visitors follow in the footsteps of the men, women and historical events that have contributed to shaping the identity of the watchmaking city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.